Death Note

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Death Note

TV-MA

2017

1h 41m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

36%

Tomatometer

77 Reviews

23%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A high school student discovers a supernatural notebook that has deadly powers. He can kill anyone he wishes simply by inscribing their name within its pages. Intoxicated with his new power, he begins to eliminate those he deems unworthy of life.

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Critics Consensus

Death Note benefits from director Adam Wingard's distinctive eye and a talented cast, but they aren't enough to overcome a fatally overcrowded canvas.

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Alison Willmore

BuzzFeed News

Netflix's Death Note fails Asian-Americans in the more mundane way that most Hollywood releases continue to .

Aug 31, 2017

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Elena Lazic

Little White Lies

A project that feels both overdetermined and underdeveloped.

Rated: 1/5

Aug 29, 2017

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Clio Chang

The New Republic

Director Adam Wingard has robbed Death Note of its identity, messing up nearly everything that made the original series so compelling.

Aug 28, 2017

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Jamie Healy

Radio Times

Strikes the right balance between the grim, the grisly and the fun.

Rated: 3/5

May 2, 2024

Full Review

Ernesto Zelaya Miñano

ScreenAnarchy

This is probably the result of trying to cram an entire series in under two hours, which leads to a climax as convoluted as the Note’s seemingly endless rules.

Feb 3, 2023

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Wingard's lack of control over the material seems unlike his work, and yet the uneven result speaks for itself.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 17, 2022

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Reginald W

Having watched the anime, I can state with confidence that it bears little resemblance to the source material. Light has been reduced to a rather insecure adolescent, Misa has been cast in an oddly domineering role, and, regrettably, Willem Dafoe’s talents were thoroughly underutilised.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

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James H

Why dose ryuk look like he just had a divorce and a depression in this movie also the plot just sucks as a person who watched the anime this sucks literally yagimi is not a genius like in the show he is stupid

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

Full Review

NRG T

If I could give this vile piece of trash "FILM" a 0 I would. Death Note is one of my favourite Anime and to see such an amazing series be ruined this bad it's heartbreaking. Adam Wingard should probably stop making "Films".

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

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HotFrog W

The simpsons did better

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

Full Review

Goose P

I wanted to jump off a bridge, Willem Dafoe was the only good part but he was barley seen

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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Chicken N

Dieses kinematographische Meisterwerk ist wie eine weiche Delikatesse. Geschmeidig zu schlucken, Speichelfluss anregend, zahnlos zu verspeisen, geschmacklich entkernt und luftabschnürend strangulierend. Es übertrifft die ursprüngliche Serie um eine Länge, so weit und breit wie der Intellekt des Light. Besonders Light Turner überzeugt durch seine beständige Inkompetenz, sein moralisches Flachland und seine Fähigkeit, jede Szene mit dem Charisma eines feuchten Papiertaschentuchs zu dominieren. Auch die sukzessive Entfremdung einer autonomen, ursprünglich lieb gewonnenen Hauptcharakterin hin zu einem hysterischen Sidekick, dessen Existenz nur bestehen darf, um seinen Teil im multiperspektivisch eindimensionalen, architektonisch plattgemeinselten Gebilde der Charakterentwicklung der Hauptperson des Filmes abzuleisten, erscheint an dieser Stelle äußerst passend. Insgesamt somit eine groteske Dekonstruktion narrativer Kohärenz. Ein Film, der sich traut, alles zu ignorieren, was das Original ausgemacht hat – außer den Namen. Und selbst die nur halb.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

Full Review

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Adam Wingard

Director

Nat Wolff

Light Turner

Margaret Qualley

Mia Sutton

LaKeith Stanfield

L

Willem Dafoe

Ryuk

Paul Nakauchi

Watari

Death Note: Movie Clip - Light Meets Ryuk

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Death Note: Viral Video - Introducing the Death Note

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Death Note: Featurette - Ryuk

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Death Note: Teaser Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A high school student discovers a supernatural notebook that has deadly powers. He can kill anyone he wishes simply by inscribing their name within its pages. Intoxicated with his new power, he begins to eliminate those he deems unworthy of life.

Director: Adam Wingard
Producer: Jason Hoffs, Roy Lee, Dan Lin, Masi Oka
Screenwriter: Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides, Jeremy Slater
Rating: TV-MA
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 25, 2017
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos

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